Station to Station

 I've always been fascinated by industrial space models. These were the true forerunners of the later plastic renditions we knew and loved as toys.

A rare model is this I saw on the Secret Projects Forum. It's the Photonic Parsecs rocket by Boeing, which later translated into the rare Photonic Space Station toy by Tri-ang.

And cropped

I don't know where the Boeing exhibition was. Do you?

The image source is 

PARSECS - 1960 | Secret Projects Forum https://share.google/Oc1rGrFxOwpKA8tTR

Interestingly there's another model reference on the forum in 2009 here by Michel Van:

Is the model he's talking about the vary same in the above image? In Germany?

Does anyone know the TV series and book he talks about, Aufbruch in den Weltraum? 

Cast Aside! Bob's SpaceX Moon Buggy Recasts

Woodsy

My Moon Buggy was missing its astronaut driver. 

 I found one similar in size, and pose. It was made in flexible plastic.

First picture is of Moon Buggy with original wheels, and new proposed driver candidate.

I decided to recast the driver as well as repair the wheels' teeth. Then recast new wheels. The astronaut was rather thin, and under proportioned. I decided I wanted to make a new solid resin recast of a "thicker" bodied astronaut driver, to look more like the original.

I rebuilt the back side of the astronaut's body, and helmet to more respectable proportions using miliput putty. Sculptured some space suit details in. Then I mounted on toothpicks for air escape holes, and a resin pour hole for after it was casted in molding rubber. Air bubbles at this scale, are a killer to success!

Some pictures of molding making for Moon Buggy wheels also attached.

Final result pictures coming.

Bob A

USA

Radio Silent

I'm on holiday at the mo so maybe quieter than usual 🚀

P A R S E C S: more than a Kessel Run

If you like photonics, 

PARSECS - 1960 | Secret Projects Forum https://share.google/LYupTJJUkpzgcqz3i 

PARSECS – Station E05 https://share.google/lZ327871mjTn7dsXm

Starlink in Eryri

 Staying in North Wales' beautiful Eryri (Snowdonia) for a few days has afforded us nights with incredibly dark skies. 

Our daughter saw the biggest shooting star ever and my son in law saw loads of satellites all from the comfort of a hot tub! 

I was chuffed when he pointed out two satellite's to me, both white dots of light several metres apart moving in tandem across the night.

Like a train he said. It's Starlink.

I'd never seen it before and was amazed and  was gobsmacked as to how much stuff is up there in general.

I had to look it up to see what Starlink looks like.

They're sort of flat upright panels, a bit like windows in a line.

I wonder if there's a toy version?

Have you seen Starlink readers? Anything else floating round? 

Wotan wades in:

Last year, on holiday in Cyprus, I was at on the balcony enjoying the night air, when I saw a star-like light ascending. Almost immediately behind came another, then another - all in all there must have been a regular spaced line of about 20 satellites, all moving in perfect formation! Took about four or five minutes for them all to cycle overhead. A few years ago, I had been sat in the same spot and a fabulous green meteor streaked across the heavens, leaving a luminous trail. Its something I never see at home, due to light pollution from the main road.

A Labour of Moguras

Woodsy,

Here are pix of all seven Mogura Drill Tank models from Japan that I’ve managed to collect over the years. Starting with The Mole, the Beast that started it all!

Rob C

USA

*

1/ Imai - The Mole

2/ Fujimi - Magma Riser (large)

3/ Bandai - Magma Riser (small)

4/ Midori - King Moguras

5/ Midori - Moguras Junior

6/ Otaki - Jet Drill Moon Tank

7/ Nitto - Jet Raizer

BoostED

Woodsy,

Here's a little something extra for Moon Base. I had to use Photoshop to add the shuttle at the tip of the rocket because my Booster Rocket didn't come with it.

From Vegas Base

Ed

More Rockets and Space

Hi Woodsy

You recently posted a picture showing the cover of the Rockets and Space Coloring Book. I thought you might like a few extra details.

It was published in 1960 by Treasure Books of New York, with a US cover price of 29 cents. There were both US and Canadian editions.

No artist appears to be credited. Illustrations are of real existing spacecraft and missiles, and planned designs for the future.

The book comprised full-page line drawings, with captions. Note that this one says ‘The Mercury capsule will probably carry America’s first astronaut into orbit around the earth.’.

Which turned out to be correct, as Mercury made its first manned sub-orbital flight on 5th May 1961; and its first orbital flight on 20th February 1962. The last Mercury mission was in May 1963.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2026/08/rockets-and-space-coloring-book.html#comment-form

Four photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Grime Lord: Looey's Dr.Who Dust Cover

It's Garden Show time here at Oz Base and the Missus suddenly hit me with a big printing job for the handouts.

My ageing laser printer couldn't cope with multiple prints at such short notice so I fired up a brand new printer I'd bought specifically to print DVD discs.

Having to put it somewhere in my crowded studio, I devised a sliding shelf in the foot well of my desk.

A shiny new printer is a magnet for dust, so it really needed a dust cover. I remembered years ago how one of the fabric stores had advertised Star Trek Wrath of Khan printed fabric. I knew that would be unavailable now, but the Missus and I went in, each of us looking for bits for our current projects.

She held up an almost used up bolt of fabric and said "Isn't this funny?"

It was perfect!

( see how I just used an AI writing style?)

It actually had a 1996 copyright on it, so maybe it has been hanging around for a bit!

By that evening, I'd whipped out the sewing machine and my dust shield was operational!

Does this stir any memories of printed fabrics for you, Moonbasers?

Looey Oz Base

Sindy, Incidentally

 We all need stuff to occupy us in retirement. One of my distractions is repairing toys, even if they don't want to be!

Deploying my usual 'use what's lying around' philosophy, here's two doll-related repairs I've done this summer. Not perfect but they'll dolly well do.

First up we have this quaint lady. Sadly she was missing her right foot stroke shoe after too much dancing with Action Man.

The Missus' stock of Fimo came to the rescue and old dolly can dance again!

Next up, Sindy's Range Rover.

I picked an incomplete one up probably twenty years ago at a boot sale.

It's huge!

Here's a complete one with its box off the net.

Alas, mine was missing those important rear black struts supporting the roof.

Keeping things simple I cut a 12 inch ruler into two parts and once snug, I glued them in position at the bottom. The tops were left free so the roof can be removed. 

Painted black they're not that bad.

Sindy can rove the range once more!

Do you like 'repairing' toys or maybe something else readers?

Kevin's Scratchbuilt Blake's 7 Security Robot

Been meaning to make this model for years, so I finally forced myself to concentrate on this one and build nothing else until it was done.  Finally managed it.

This is the Federation Security Robot from Blake's 7. It must've been an unbelievably unwieldy  prop because it only features in 2 episodes of the first season,  despite featuring heavily in pre publicity (it even made it onto a badge!). 

Not the most terrifying of designs  but it did boast a scary flamethrower which must've been fun to film.

I elected not to put a working one in mine!

Model by the way is 5 foot tall.

From strength to unity,

Kevin

UK

Matteline 1967 Video 22

Hi,

Matteline 1967 has just done another video of fantasy kit box art, for kits that were never produced, but might have been. Films, cartoons, and TV shows from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Mostly from the lesser known examples, but still an interesting selection of models-that-never-were. Matteline is now up to video number 22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aZD4fnchLI

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Looey's New Batmobile

I was in The Reject Shop -what we Aussies still call a "$2 Shop".

I went in to buy jam jars, I came out with a Batmobile!

A Hot Wheels Armoured Batmobile.

At first I thought it was just a plastic shell, representing the parked mode as featured in the Tim Burton movie -and it is, but if you peek under the package, there's a complete car inside with gold rimmed wheels.

The cocoon has hand dry brushed highlights to enliven what is otherwise a single lump of black plastic. I can't see what the deco on the actual car looks like, but it's good to have a little mystery in one's life!

-Oh, and it actually cost me $2! 

That's a Quid, where most of you come from!

                        Looey in Oz Base.

The Glowing Dutchman!

Check out SpongeBob Squarepants Movie Flying Dutchman's Ship Playset with 6 Figures on eBay!

https://ebay.io/m/5i1pVc

This is fantastic, reminds me of those old Aurora kits of the 60's.

Keep on glowing!

MJ

South coast Base

Rockets and Space Coloring Book

 What a cover! 

It's a fabulous Booster Rocket lookalike! 

I wonder what else is in there?

Ed's Watches

Hey Woodsy,

Got the time?

No?

Neither do I. I have the watches, but the batteries are all dead, LOL!

I have ended up with a few odds-&-ends of watches as well as a couple of clocks. Here's the few watches I do have:

-Lionel wristwatch

-Lionel pocket watch

-Harry Potter pocket watch

From Vegas 'Watch'-Tower

Ed

Watch This!

Woodsy,

In keeping with your current “Watch” theme, here’s an old painting of mine.

Rob C

USA

Best Timing Ever!

https://www.bbc.com/videos/c29ww26l3e0o

one for the blog.

Via Paul V.

😂

My Life in Watches by Brian B

Hello Woodsy

As a child I had a series of wristwatches from around age 10.

Early ones were Ingersoll which claimed they were indestructible, they weren't.

On a holiday in Switzerland in 1962 as a teen I was given a watch, brand unknown, that came from the equivalent of a Woolworth Store.

That survived through college until 1971 when my parents gave me a Tissot Sidereal watch. The attraction was a fiberglass case and plastic band as my skin was reacting to treated leather bands and some steel watch cases. The disadvantage was the band wore out frequently and was replaced free of charge by Tissot. Careless technicians would break the fiberglass case and when replacing the case, dirt got into the movement effecting the self winding mechanism. Tissot claimed that was my fault. That so annoyed me that I avoid Swiss made watches and switched to a mechanical TIMEX made in the US.

Working in the advertising industry I would wear different advertising watches and when my daughter was born in 1984, I was wearing a mechanical TIMEX Heinz Ketchup watch with a ketchup bottle as the sweep hand. I now wear it once a year on my daughter's birthday.

As an uprooted Londoner, on trips back to London I might wear my quartz London Underground watch.

Some years ago I discovered a company that customized watches to supplied designs. For a small charge they would make one sample so over a few years I made first a Desperate Dan watch and then my Dan Dare watch.

On a daily basis I wear a cheap Casio quartz watch which keeps good time and the only attention it requires is putting the time forward in the Spring and back an hour in the Autumn, with a new battery around every 18 months.

On remembering these watches I recalled a watch that I bought for a young cousin in the UK as a gift. I kept one, it dates from the early 80's, made by GameTime in Hong Kong it played video games like Space Invaders. I played mine on the flight to the UK and it put me off video games for life. Just brain numbing play. I dug it out for the attached photo. I think the then 10 year old cousin enjoyed it.

Brian B

NYC

Petronas! Harry Potter's Whomping Willow Game

I recently picked this 2002 Harry Potter game up in a big Pontefract charity shop. 

Having built it I have to say it's one of the fiddliest games I've set up. With 22 pieces needed to be in place just for the tree before the motor even engages, it is an endurance test and I can well imagine it was too much for many original wizards at the start of the Millennium. 

Here's the old TV ad from way back. Once built the tree is pretty dramatic I must say!  

What do you think?

https://youtu.be/152mPfElE5c?is=myZZvfHrb7xxcY1P 

Time You Got a Watch

 I used to love my Timex watch as a kid.

I dunno, there's something a bit James Bond about a watch.

Here's a few I spotted online. 

This is like Mother's. Watch with Mother!

Ha ha

The glorious Gilbert 007 boxed watch. Shaken, not wound.

Some chunky walkie watches for the local militia.

A modern Spy X.

A gorgeous old FBI timepiece. The eagle's carrying dynamite! 

A not so secret MI6.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service wrist.

Not so clandestine CIAs.

Do you wear a watch?

Did you as a kid?